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Branding the city: the case of Casablanca-Morocco

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Abstract

Over the past two decades, a new paradigm has emerged in the field of public management, which advocates place branding as a determining and impacting strategy of differentiation, recognition and commodification of places. The interest of this article is to approach the city branding strategy of the city of Casablanca, consecrated as being the first experience of its kind in Morocco and even in Africa. Thus, we will try to discover its operating mode, in particular by analyzing the instrumentalization process of the couple «identity/image» of the city for the purposes of attractiveness and competitiveness. We will also discuss the pillars on which this strategy is based, in particular through the operationalization of the city’s development plan 2015–2020, the deployment of its communication and the involvement of its various stakeholders.

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Notes

  1. Association de sauvegarde du patrimoine architectural du XXe siècle au Maroc (2011)  Casablanca dans le XXe siècle, www.casamemoire.org.

  2. Global Financial Centres Index Report (2018).

  3. www.huffpostmaghreb.com (publication du 03/04/2017).

  4. Quality of Living Survey-Mercer (2019).

  5. Speech of HIS MAJESTY THE KING MOHAMED VI at the opening of the first session of the third legislative year (2013).

  6. Rebillard et al. (2007) Communication touristique. Identité & marque de destination, Espaces tourisme et loisirs.

  7. Thebault (2011) Marketing territorial : comment recenser les composantes de l’identité?.

  8. Kavaratzis and Hatch (2013) The Dynamics of place brands: An identity-based approach to place, Marketing Theory Journal.

  9. Gomez (2011) Attractivité et identité, liens et enjeux dans la construction d’une métropole: le cas de Mexico (1977–2007).

  10. De San Eugenio Vela (2013) Place Branding: a conceptual and theoretical framework, Boletín de la Asociación de Geógrafos Españoles.

  11. Kavaratzis (2004) From city marketing to city branding: Towards a theoretical framework for developing city brands.

  12. Madden et al. (2016) Beyond the motivation theory of destination image, tourism and hospitality management, vol. 22.

  13. Ferreira Lopes (2011) Destination image: Origins, Developments and Implications, Revista de Turismo y Patrimonio Cultural, Vol. 9.

  14. Attractiveness diagnosis : In search of the DNA of Casablanca, WeCasablanca press kit, page 9, October 2016.

  15. Anholt (2008) Place branding: Is it marketing, or isn’t it?, Place Branding and Public Diplomacy.

  16. Meyronin (2012) Marketing territorial, Enjeux et pratiques. Paris: Magnard-Vuibert.

  17. Anholt (2007) What is Competitive Identity? Competitive identity: the new brand management for nations, cities and regions.

  18. Etat d'avancement du Plan de Développement du Grand Casablanca 2015–2020 (2017) www.wecasablanca.com.

  19. Electronic platforms initiated in Casablanca, within the framework of the Regional Business Environment Committee.

  20. Braun and Eshuis (2014) The effectiveness of Place Brand Communication, Cities. Vol. 41.

  21. Govers (2011) From place marketing to place branding and back, Place Branding and Public Diplomacy.

  22. O’leary (2012) Telling the story: teaching leaders the art of storytelling and its impact on individuals and the organization. Research project, Faculty Advisor Julie Chesley, Pepperdine University.

  23. Casablanca metropolis: the visual identity, WeCasablanca press kit, page 6, October 2016.

  24. The brand in action (the events), http://www.wecasablanca.com/we/evenements.

  25. The brand in action (the edition), http://www.wecasablanca.com/we/edition.

  26. The brand in action (the edition), http://www.casaevents.ma/magazine/.

  27. wecasablanca's youtube channel, http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCw7MXIu8Vq63Gq_dz10QPQ.

  28. Maynadier (2009) Marque de ville : une approche sémiotique.

  29. The brand timeline : the 10 key dates, WeCasablanca press kit, page 8, October 2016.

  30. The brand partners, http://www.wecasablanca.com/en/we/wecasablanca-partners.

  31. Maynadier (2015) Gouvernance d’une marque de ville : les stratégies ambiguës.

  32. Anholt (2008) Place branding: Is it marketing, or isn’t it?, Place Branding and Public Diplomacy.

  33. http://www.casaevents.ma.

  34. «Casablanca: le point sur l'avancement des plus grands chantiers», Medias24 online journal, 01 Octobre 2020, http://www.medias24.com/casablanca-le-point-sur-l-avancement-des-plus-grands-chantiers-13257.html.

References

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  • Rebillard, S., A. Vourch, I. Bremond. 2007. Communication touristique. Identité & marque de destination, Espaces tourisme et loisirs.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Research in Theoretical and Applied Economics (LARETA), Faculty of Economy and Management, University Hassan 1st of Settat, Settat, Morocco

    Dounia Sedra & Hicham El Bayed

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  1. Dounia Sedra
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  2. Hicham El Bayed
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Correspondence to Dounia Sedra.

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Sedra, D., El Bayed, H. Branding the city: the case of Casablanca-Morocco. Place Brand Public Dipl 18, 181–189 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1057/s41254-020-00195-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/s41254-020-00195-y

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